Machine Conspiracy

Nothing is novel or all that unique about Boris Bunnik's Conforce productions. Even the sleeve design of his first album, Machine Conspiracy, could be mistaken for a decade-old release on Torsten Pröfrock's DIN label. Like the output from a number of the Bunnik’s peers — Audision, Claro Intelecto, etc. — they are amalgamations of serious dance music forms from the previous two decades, drawing heavily from early Detroit and U.K. techno with the odd trace of Berlin dub. Deep, probing basslines ("Love-Hate,” “Subtraction”), smooth-gliding surfaces (“Machine Conspiracy,” "Robotic Arm Wrestle"), radiant texture washes (“Sonar Conversations”), and extended beat-less passages in which tension is raised by persistently clicking/cycling percussion (“The Land of the Highway”) are all in effect. Yet, it is all so well-crafted, so compelling for extended stretches, that it is impossible to disregard, even if you can identify all the inspirations. Bunnik shuffles the deck so craftily that the lack of originality in his work should be a non-issue to the most knowledgeable listener.